China's Olympic men's singles champion Lin Dan said he doesn't intend to slow down just because he won the gold medal in Beijing.

His straight-game victory over Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei in the final enabled Lin to erase the pain of four years ago when he lost in the early rounds of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Having endured a difficult year in which he got into spats with other players and coaches, Lin, writing for Chinese news agency Xinhua, said he now wants to have a good rest before planning his next move.

"Now I am very excited and can't find the proper words to express my feelings," said Lin.

"My opponents were powerful. They put in as much hard work as I had. None of them made concessions in the fight for a gold medal. Psychologically I got myself ready for the competition. All I could do was exert my utmost.

"Since the last Olympic Games in Athens, I have been dreaming of winning a gold medal. I have realised my wish, which is an acknowledgement of my actual strength.

"This year, I have confronted a lot of adversity and endured a lot of pressure. However, the gold medal has confirmed the fact that I am an outstanding sportsman. And fortunately all the negative aspects have finally vanished."

At 25, Lin still has at least one more Olympics in him. However, with China producing world-class badminton players almost at will, he will have to be on his toes.

He said players like himself and Athens gold medallist Taufik Hidayat, who has also vowed to play on, thrive on competition.

"Frankly speaking I haven't thought much about my future plans. I believe I will be serious-minded about my choices," said Lin.

"What I want most is a good rest at the moment. One thing I'm definitely sure about is that I will keep on playing, just like Taufik Hidayat. I will go for more medals, at the Asian Games, and all kinds of world championships.

"I am still young, just 25. What's more, I will keep on fighting for a lot of fans supporting me."

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